DREAM Act a Controversial Bill Brings Vote Today

The DREAM Act is a controversial bill that is being brought to a vote in Congress today.  Surprisingly enough, the DREAM act isn’t being widely talked about in the media, perhaps because of the controversy contained in it.

Ever since Arizona announced the passage of SB1070, the “Arizona Immigration Law” the rights of illegal immigrants has been in the forefront of political debates. The constitutionality of allowing states to make it a criminal offense to be in their state illegally has been questioned by the Obama Administration.

The DREAM Act would give immigrants that came into the states as minors and are pursuing an education or serving in the military citizenship.

DREAM stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors.  The language for the act is written into the Defense Authorization Bill, which also strikes the controversial “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” language from the military.

More than 700,000 students who are in the US illegally could become citizens and have a fast path to a green card if the act is passed.

Many are concerned about the implications of the bill. Could taxpayer funds be used to help those who entered our country illegally pay for their educations?

What do you think of the DREAM act? Do you support the bill or not?

Supreme Court, Gun Control and the Second Amendment

The Supreme court's recent gun control "second amendment" ruling is gaining a lot of press, and with good reason.  The Supreme Court upheld that state and local governments must protect the Second Amendment rights of Americans.  For those who need a crash course on the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment is the right to bear arms.

President Obama has been very vocal about his wishes to tighten gun control.  There's been much discussion over how he might go about doing so, and many estimate that he would do this through banning certain types ammunition.  Obama's agenda would be easier to accomplish if there was some precedent on the books indicating a strong arm on what is protected by the second amendment.

In Chicago, there has been a handgun ban for the last 28 years.  This week the Supreme Court ruled in favor of plaintiffs who sued the city because they believe that they have a right to have a handgun for protection.  The ruling was 5-4 in favor of the plaintiffs, and the Court sent the suit back to a lower court for a final ruling.

The recent event will likely lead to more lawsuits, especially from jurisdictions that ban certain types of weapons.  If the right to bear arms includes hand guns, it will likely include a variety of types of weapons - assault rifles and other guns included.

The ruling also came on the first day of the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings.  It was the last day that Chief Justice Roberts was on the bench.  This is very significant.  If Elena had been on the bench, the final ruling could have easily been 5-4 in favor of the defendant, or the City of Chicago - in which case the road to tighter gun control would have been paved.

Gun Rights 2010: Handgun Ban in Chicago Unconstitutional (Second Amendment)

The Chicago handgun ban has been controversial for decades.  Second Amendment rights, or the right to bear arms, are among one of the most polarizing rights that citizens try to uphold.  Do guns kill people, or do people kill people? Such is the rhetoric that has gone around the court system.

Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that state and local governments must abide by the Second Amendment, or the right to bear arms.  This includes the right to own a handgun.  This means that the Chicago Handgun ban which was implemented years ago is unconstitutional, and that citizens across the US can own handguns.

The Supreme Court ruling is highly controversial, and will likely be a blow to Obama's agenda.  As the president is from Chicago, he seeks to tighten gun control.

It has yet to be seen whether or not the President will be able to successfully tighten gun control given that Second Amendment Rights are so important to many Americans.  Many speculate that if the President is successful in his desires, he will control guns through ammunition instead of by banning the weapons themselves.

The ruling by the Supreme Court will likely lead to more and more lawsuits.  Bans on certain types of guns such as assault weapons could be challenged because of today's ruling.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Americans from Chicago who want to own handguns for protection.  The case is sent back to a lower court now for a final ruling.

The hearing comes on the same day as the first day of the confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, Obama's Supreme Court nominee to replace Chief Justice Roberts.  One can't help but wonder if the ruling would have been different had Kagan been on the bench.

Financial Overhaul Bill 2010 Controversy

The Financial overhaul bill 2010 is a big deal this week.  The 2010 financial overhaul bill is something that Obama wants passed before the Senate adjourns for the Fourth of July holiday.  Passage of the bill is now in jeopardy, as Senator Robert Byrd (D-W. Va) passed away.  Democrats need all the votes they can get in order to pass the measure.

We all know that passing the UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION BILL is something that likely won't happen this week.  The measure has been voted on twice, and Democrats and Republicans are in a stalemate.

Could the same happen with the Financial Overhaul Bill?

Let's start with the basic premise behind the bill.  The financial system in America is delicate.  The same is true around the world, which is why the G20 SUMMIT DISCUSSED WORLD ECONOMIC POLICY. In the United States, legislation is needed so that taxpayers don't have to keep bailing out big banks.

Law makers could have either shrank financial institutions so that individually no establishment was "too big to fail" or made rules aimed at preventing failure.

Even though we all know that "rules were meant to be broken" our lawmakers chose to try to enact rules.

Chopping up risky financial institutions could have been wiser, but maybe perhaps some legislation is better than no legislation.

The legislation is 2,000 pages, and will touch the entire financial industry from payday lenders to Wall Street's largest banks. It includes provisions on banks having a larger cushion in the event of a failure.  It also limits investments in private equity firms.

It could take years for many of the rules in the legislation to take place.  It's questionable whether or not the bill will pass this week in time for Obama to sign it before the Independence Day holiday.  We will just have to see how the Senate reacts, especially given that the minds of many will be on remembering their late colleague, and also on the unemployment situation impacting their constituents.

Casey Anthony Case and Prison Letters Revealed

The Casey Anthony case continues, as the suspected killer of Caylee Anthony is her own mother. Although the murder case began over a year ago, many people want to keep up to date with the trial. It's hard for people - parents especially - to even fathom a mother killing her child, and then living life as if nothing was wrong.

Casey may or may not be guilty - that's for a judge and jury to decide. However she went a good length of time before reporting her daughter missing, partying and having a good time with friends while her baby was missing.

The latest news brings us certain jailhouse letters. Over 5,000 pages of new evidence has been revealed, including fan letters and letters from her father.

The letters include a variety of sentiments. Some people send the mother money and pledge their support to the alleged killer. Others talk about how much they hate seeing her on TV. Her father? He misses her.

Nothing brings the country together such as a missing child or murdered child. The innocent should be protected, and that's one part of the justice system that pretty much everyone agrees on. The murder trial for Casey Anthony begins in May, 2011 and it will be a very big deal.

It's not certain why people write those they have never met letters. It's peculiar the connection that some people feel to those they only know from TV or the news. Casey Anthony will have a variety of fans and foes as being accused of murdering your toddler daughter is a very touchy subject in the press.

Unemployment Extension 2010 - American Extended Unemployment Totals Grow

The unemployment extension 2010 needs to be passed. The 2010 unemployment extension legislation has failed to pass, and the numbers of Americans that are unemployed continue to grow. It's bad enough that Congress failed to pass the legislation before leaving for a long Memorial Day holiday, but the close to one million Americans whose benefits expired on June 2, 2010 are still without resolution.

The total jobless Americans could grow to 1.6 million relatively soon, further compounding the economic problems that surrounds unemployment. For instance, new home sales dropped to an 8 year low. The reason that many Americans have shied away from buying a home is because of fears of getting laid off. Without a potential 99 weeks of benefits, getting unemployed could be a fast track to foreclosure.

As the number of unemployed grow, benefits will be more and more important for the continued economic (and political) success in America. Of course, there are arguments for both sides of the fence.

This November, expect unemployment to be a hot issue. Those who denied the unemployment extension may have a fast track out of Washington into the job market just like their constituents. Expect Obama to get bonus points in the minds of many if he passes an extension via an executive order. The passage of this bill will be very interesting.

Those who are unemployed and need the extension should contact their state representatives to let them know you need the extension. Speaking your mind is the only way to make true "change."

Kyron's Law a Potential Legislation after Kyron Horman Missing Child Case

Kyron Horman went missing on June 4, and his case could bring forth a new law.  "Kyron's Law" would mandate having security cameras in all schools, the purpose being to keep children safe.  The reason that "Kyron's Law" is starting to make its way through the grapevine and to petitions is because the young seven year old was last seen at school.

The stepmother of the missing boy was the last to see him, and she said that she saw him in school on his way to his classroom 150 feet away.  Had security cameras been in place, her story could have been collaborated, and if someone was responsible for his disappearance they could have been easily identified.

However, there is politics involved in having surveillance videos all over the place.  There are those that say that the cameras could be a distraction.  In addition, they could be misused and some even think of them as a violation of privacy.

The systems would be expensive, yet many parents and concerned citizens are willing to fundraise to pay for the system.

Still yet, any measure that seeks to keep our children safe should at least be considered. Having no account of how the boy went missing and no one other than his stepmother with information about his disappearance is not acceptable in today's technological age.

So far, the investigation has centered on Terri Moulton Horman.  Her account of the day the boy went missing and her cell phone records do not exactly match up.  She has taken two polygraph tests, but authorities are tight-lipped about most of the investigation.  Hopefully, resolution is made in this case soon.

Unemployment Extension Benefits Passed by Executive Order?

The unemployment extension benefits bill has been thwarted by Congress.  The unemployment extension could be passed by Obama, if a petition from the 99ers goes through.  The 99ers are a grassroot group of long term unemployed that have not only been searching high and low for jobs, but also lobbying to protect their interests.

The temporary unemployment extension expired on June 2nd. Since then - actually since before then, the House and the Senate were working to pass HR 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes act. The House passed the measure before Memorial day, and the Senate recently voted down the bill.

Politics as usual is getting in the way of benefits needed.  The democrats and republicans can't figure out how to pay for the measure.  The democrats want to push down a bunch of tax increases to small businesses, oil companies, and investment fund managers.  The republicans want to use unused stimulus funds.

In addition there are back and forth arguments about other provisions of the unemployment extension, such as one senator's desire to have mandatory drug testing for all those on unemployment benefits.

President Obama has expressed that he wants the unemployment benefits passed because of the millions of Americans that are in need of benefits. HR 4213 is dead right now, and so the 99ers have started a petition that could be delivered to Obama.

The petition calls for an executive order that will extend unemployment benefits to the long term unemployed. Let's just hope the measure is passed.

American Power Act Controversy

The American Power Act is a bill that was introduced to Congress by senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman. Already, the bill is garnering a lot of controversy. It seeks to make companies accountable for their greenhouse emissions. Each company would have so many credits to use. If they don't use their energy credits, they can sell them to other companies. If a company needs more credits, they would have to purchase them somewhere.

There's a question over who would benefit from the bill. The American public is skeptical. Democrats are pumped about the bill, and some estimate that they will try to piggy back the legislation to an oil spill response bill. This is definitely something that those concerned about green energy should keep an eye on.

The bill would reduce emissions - but at what cost. Some venture to say that the purpose of the bill is to drive energy prices so high that consumption ultimately decreases. This would hurt the consumer, and cut jobs if you listen to the bills opponents.

The bill is also called the cap-and-trade bill. It will remain controversial - especially given the BP Gulf oil spill.